Pie dough trimmer and sealer



y 1952 v R. A. WANGEMAN 2,598,626

PIE DOUGH TRIMMER AND SEALER Filed Sept. 18,1947

Inventor Robert Alexander Wangeman Patented May 27, 1952 JNITED- STATES OFFICE:

v V 55,592L62fi IE. ar semis Robert. Alexander. Wangeman, Sheboygan, Application September 18, 1947, s min r ans This invention relatesto improvements in pie doughtrimmers and sealers,

An object of the invention is to provide an proved pie dough trimmer and sealer whichwill be. manually operable about the edge of a. pie plate when a pie has beenmade and'the dough crust placed in position upon the pie filling for simultaneously crimping and sealing the. edge of the pie and for trimming the extra'dough from the edge of the pie plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable hand operated pie dough trimmer and sealer includingan' operating shaft avin an peratingknob. and: ratchet wheel secured thereon, together with an interconnected beveled crimping gear and circular or disk shaped trimmin knife rotatably mounted upon said shaft, and a resilient dog or. pawl pivotally mounted upon said knife for engagementwith said ratchet. wheel for driving said crimping or sealing gear and knife as it, s,.rlled aboutthe peripheral edge'of a pie to trim, and seal the same.

A further object of the invfintion is to, provide an improved pie crust trimmer and sealer which will be highly efiicient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pie and the improved pie dough trimmer and sealer shown in operative use thereon;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the improved pie dough trimmer and sealer;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an improved form of portable and manually operable pie dough trimmer and sealer including an operating shaft I upon one end of which is mounted an operating knob 2, the same being secured in fixed position thereon by means of a set screw 3 whose inner end is adapted to seat in the longitudinally extending slot or keyway 4 formed in the outer end of said shaft I.

A ratchet wheel '5 is suitably fixed upon the shaft I intermediate its ends, and is rotatable therewith.

3 Claims. (Cl. 107-49) v A beveled crust crimpin and-sealing gear-ii is formedwith a plurality of tapered flutes or ribs I, and is formed with a closed outer end 8' which iscentral-ly bored to provide a bearing 9 for the operating shaft I; A 'locking pin I'Will be disposed through a transverse opening (not-shown) adjacent the end of the shaft [to lie nextto'the inner surface of the end 8, to limit the inward movement of said crust crimping and; sealing s er I A plurality of inwardly directed locking tabs II are "formed: on the inner edgeofthe crust crimping and sealing gear firfor'purposes hereinafter described; I

A disk shape or circular doughknife I2 is provided with a central opening or aperture I3 for positioning over the shaft I adjacent the ratchet wheel 5, and'a washer--I4 i also; disposed over the shaft I between'the knife I2 and the operating knob 2. The peripheral edge of theknife IZ -is bent inwardly or beveled as at I5 to provide a trimming or cuttingedge- IB-for contacting the edge of a pielplate II when the device is in operation;

A plurality of slots I8 are formed through the trimming knife I2 for receiving the attaching tabs II on the adjacent end of the sealing gear 6, the ends of said tabs being bent inwardly at right angles to lock the sealing gear 6 to the cutting or trimming blade or knife I2.

Secured to the inner surface of the trimming blade or knife I2, is a pin or stud I9 upon which a resilient dog or pawl 20 is mounted for engagement with the teeth in the ratchet wheel 5 for automatically coupling the sealing gear 6 and the trimming blade I2 to the shaft I when the operating knob 2 is rotated.

In operation, the pie to be sealed and the surplus dough 2| will be engaged by the improved pie dough trimmer and sealer as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, and the operating knob 2 will be rotated to simultaneously seal the pie and trim the surplus dough from the edges thereof. It will be apparent that the beveled sealing gear will crimp the edge of the pie dough crust together in ridges whose inner and outer ends are formed at different radial distances from the center of the pie. As the device is operated, the sealing and the trimming of the surplus dough from the edge of the pie will be quickly and simultaneously effected by the beveled gear 6, and by the engagment of the blade edge I6 with the peripheral edge of the pie plate II. A ratchet is included in the make-up of the mechanism so that the knife and imprinting or sealing gear move forward with the knob but remain stationary relative to the edge of the pie when the knob is returned to a new starting position, as by partially rotating the pie with the other hand, while the knob is held with one hand. This allows operation of the device to be continuous and withj out breaking contact between the device and the pie crust, and without breaking the pattern imprinted on the edge of the pie. It is applicant's contentionthat the device would not be practical without the use of a ratchet'because this ratchet allows an easy return of the fingers of the operating hand to a new starting position, eliminating the necessity of breaking hold on the knob and breaking the pattern, but making it rather a continuous and quick procedure.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been devised and provided a highly efficient form of pie dough trimming and sealing implement which may be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has been illustrated and described, it

will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

dough trimming knife rotatably mounted on said shaft, a beveled and fluted pie edge sealing gear rotatably mounted on said shaft, means for coupling said knife and the gear together, and means for coupling said knife and gear to said shaft for rotation therewith when said operating knob is rotated in one direction, said coupling meansv being inoperative when the knob is rotated in the I opposite direction; a v

2. An improved pie dough trimming and sealing implement including a rotatable shaft, an

operating knob fixed to one end thereof, a pie dough trimming knife having a beveled cutting edge rotatably mounted on said shaft, a beveled and fluted pie edge sealing gear rotatably mounted upon said shaft, means for coupling said knife and the gear together, and a ratchet wheel and associated pivoted pawl disposed respectively on said shaft and knife for coupling said knife and gear to said shaft for rotation therewith when said operating knob is rotated in one direction, said coupling means being inoperative when the knob is rotated in the opposite direction.

3. An improved pie dough trimming and sealing implement including a rotatable shaft, an operating knob fixed to one end thereof, a pie dough trimming knife having a beveled cutting edge rotatably mounted on said shaft, a beveled and fluted pie edge sealing gear rotatably mounted upon said shaft, means for coupling said knife and gear togther, a ratchet wheel secured to said shaft, and a resilient pawl pivotally supported upon said knife for engagement with said ratchet wheel for automatically coupling said knife and gear to said shaft for rotation therewith when said operatin knob is rotated in one direction, said coupling means being inoperative when the knob is rotated in the opposite direction.

ROBERT ALEXANDER WANGEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Gamache Feb. 13, 1945 

